Etymology
Pronunciation
- RP enPR: Ä•t"É™-mÅl'É™-jÄ“, IPA: /ˌɛt.ɪˈmÉ’l.É™.dÊ’i/
- GenAm enPR: Ä•t"É™-mÅl'É™-jÄ“, IPA: /ˌɛtəˈmÉ‘lÉ™dÊ’i/
- Hyphenation: e + ty + mo + lo + gy
Origin
From Middle English etimologie, from Old French ethimologie, from Latin etymologia, from Ancient Greek á¼Ï„υμολογία, from ἔτυμον (etumon, "true sense") and -λογία (-logia, "study of") (from λόγος).
Noun
etymology
(plural etymologies)- (uncountable) The study of the historical development of languages, particularly as manifested in individual words.
- (countable) An account of the origin and historical development of a word.
Usage notes
Not to be confused with entomology ("the study of insects") or etiology ("the study of causes or origins").